The Marine Museum at Fall River is a cultural gem and contains a wealth of Fall River Maritime History especially Steam Ship and Titanic memorabilia. Discover the art, books, models and many treasures the Marine Museum holds. This is a must see
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The Marine Museum at Fall River is a cultural gem and contains a wealth of Fall River Maritime History especially Steam Ship and Titanic memorabilia. Discover the art, books, models and many treasures the Marine Museum holds. This is a must see resource for landlubbers and mariners alike.

Carol Gafford is a public librarian, family historian, amateur archivist and book savior. She is currently the youth services/outreach librarian at the Swansea Public Library and volunteers for several museum and historical societies including the Marine Museum at Fall River, the Swansea Historical Society and the Bristol Historical and Preservation society. She is the editor of Past Times, the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists and is always looking for a new project to take on.

Happy Birthday America! Lots of places closed or open with no music, but the biggest gig is at The Hatch Shell in Boston, where the annual Fourth of July Boston Pops concert--free and on tv too--features Norwell blues princess Susan Tedeschi (left) as special guest. We can recall first seeing Tedeschi with perhaps a couple dozen folks at the old Atlantic Bar & Grille in Hull, and a bit later, with maybe 50 diehards at The Yard Rock in Quincy, so this marks another milestone in the local gal's meteoric--and well deserved--career. Other pop stars on the lineup include Howie Day, Ayla Bown, and Ellis Hall, but we already know where most of the musical fireworks will come from. A couple places are still hosting music: Russ Costa's All Stars at Mari's Place in Quincy; Kina Zore plays at the Middle East in Cambridge; Sam Gentile hosts the blues jam at The Bailey in Marshfield; and music producer/performer/gadabout Holbrook Gracia's weekly Hangin' with Holbrook showcase at Paddy Barry's in Quincy.

FRIDAY'S BEST

Matt Stubbs (right), the only bluesman we know who runs triathlons in his spare time, headlines the Next Page Cafe in Weymouth. Memphis Rockabilly Band shakes it up at The C-Note in Hull. Two Trick Pony gallops into Tinker's Son in Norwell. Ace Major and Koma get down at the Middle East. Modern Element, with Jetpacks For Sale, rock the South Shore Music Hall in Quincy. Red Sky Mary rocks T.T. the Bear's in Cambridge. The Steve Tobias Band makes its debut at Mari's Place. Mr. Brownstone, a Guns 'n' Roses tribute, at The Sinclair in Cambridge. Jesse Combs and Ladyship at the Amazing Things Art Center in Framingham. The New York Funk Exchange at Johnny D's in Somerville. A Boston Harbor cruise with Booty Vortex.

SATURDAY'S BEST

Country music iconoclast Lyle Lovett headlines the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset with a small acoustic combo. Effervescent rock and pop with a rootsy edge when The Mowglis (left) take over Brighton Music Hall. The New Bedford Folk Music Festival opens a jam-packed two days of performances on five stages, with stars including John Gorka, Stoughton's Lori McKenna, Ellis Paul, Cheryl Wheeler, and Quincy's big voiced Chris Pahud. Irish singer Ronan Tynan at The River Club in Scituate. There's a big MassCann/NORML benefit at South Shore Music Hall, with Age Against the Machine and much more. Neat harmonies when Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs get together at the Cape Cod Melody Tent. Bad iron rocks Mari's Place. Rick Russell's blues at The Next Page. Clutch Grabwell's funky hilarity at Tinker's Son. Yonas and ScienZe are among the hip-hoppers at The Middle East. Jazzman Lance Martin and his band at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge. Booty Vortex lovingly revisits the disco era at The C-Note. Speedy Ortiz lights up Great Scott in Allston. CSS grooves at The Sinclair. Bruce Bears & Andy Poxon at the Ming Dynasty in Marshfield.

UPCOMING

Sunday afternoon (2 p.m.) country stars Montgomery Gentry headline the Indian Ranch in Webster. Sunday night Lyle Lovett (right) moves on to the Cape Cod Melody Tent. Also Sunday, Berklee Performance Center in Boston offers the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Orchestra--this is an all star group of high school musicians from around the country. Monday night: Guns 'n' Roses guitarman Slash and his new group rumble into the House of Blues; the Polyphonic Spree harmonizes at Brighton Music Hall; jazz guitarist Albino Mbie at The RegattaBar in Harvard Square; Sublime rocks Bank of America Pavilion in Boston. Tuesday night swing by the Milton Town Hall gazebo for a free show at 6:30 p.m. from Jumpin' Juba. Also Tuesday, Buckwheat Zydeco stirs it up at The RegattaBar; Belle & Sebastian sing at Bank of America Pavilion; and Paul McCartney's first sold out show at Fenway Park kicks off. Wednesday: She & Him (Zooey Deschannel and M. Ward) headline Bank of America Pavilion; Kid Rock's all-tickets-$20 tour hits Comcast Center in Mansfield; and Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney ("Pat" from Saturday Night Live) provide music and laughs at The Narrows Center in Fall River. July 11 is packed with good music: The Specials at the Hosue of Blues; Miranda Lambert does a Songwriters Circle show at Royale in Boston; bluesman Albert Cummings at The Middle East; Melissa Etheridge rocks Cape Cod Melody Tent; and Totally Biased star W. Kamua Bell brings his standup comedy routine to The Paradise in Boston.